Javi and Denis' preparation going into the big O

So does anyone have any news on them?
I love Javi and i'm worried after his gp series... Has there been something of in his preparation or is he just slowly going towards the main goal..? Plus in the ice network interview a while back with Brian he said something like Javi isn't going for the gold (not even close in those words) but Yusu is. So i'm wondering if he's happy with his last year's success and not pushing it this season...?

Also, what about those programs? Should he do any changes to those? Are they limiting his abilities? I was upset when Dave L said the lp is a joke... I love the lp beginning but otherwise I don't like either of them as much as last year's lp.. Plus for some reason I dislike the sp outfit... those butt-thingies are distracting to me. AND also the same with his lp outfit... I get the point to his shirt, but it's not classy..

And then we have our lovely Denis Ten. He's had issues with injury, but i guess he's working hard and it's been showing in his competition outside gp. But is his programs good enough? And can he succeed at the Olympics? He's kind of having the same type of season as last year (health/boot/whatever issues and not doing so great) and I'm hoping he's saving his programs of his life (or at least season) to the games.

I loved his last seasons lp and I don't know about he's this seasons programs (probably because I haven't seen them that much yet).

Anyways please let's not bring our biggest gold medal candidates to this discussion (P & Y) because there's like a million threads to them already.. I think with Javi and Denis, the top results would be silver for either.. The men are always a bit wild to me and anything can happen, just not so much that one can win i think...

Javi did an interview recently in Spanish, and he said he's not worried about how the Grand Prix season went, and that he's working towards Europeans and the Olympics. Brian wanted him to skip Nationals but it looks like his contract with the Spanish fed says that he has to be there, so now he's in Madrid and after that he'll go back to Toronto to train. He's thinking about going back to his Chaplin free program (he got some judges' feedback) but no one knows if he's done that or not. I guess we'll see in a few days what he's going to skate to at Nationals.
About him and Yuzuru, Orser said this summer that Javier just 'wants to do his best', and that Yuzuru wants gold.

I like Javi very much as a person, and I like to see him do well. But, he's not exactly the hardest worker out there (what Orser said in his interview to IFS back in August isn't exactly flattering, but he also said that after getting bronze in London he's gotten marginally better), and I don't think he sees himself as a contendent for the podium. Last year he said that he started believing he could be a top skater because Yuzuru, who came to train with him, looked at him like he was; Orser said that he could win a medal in London because he had people behind him believing that he could do it. It almost looks like he's lacking in self-confidence and focus sometimes, like he's not so sure about what he wants to achieve in his career. Or it could be that the pressure got to him.

Wow, thanks Kalina! Great info on him! I've tried to watch some of his interviews but my Spanish isn't that great..

I like him so much and of course there can be the pressure this season too. I mean he did win the Euros and was 3rd at Worlds so it's a totally different situation for him now. A lot of expectation from his country and others. I just hope he's comfortable still with Brian and Yuzu. Very excited for the nationals!

Wow, thanks Kalina! Great info on him! I've tried to watch some of his interviews but my Spanish isn't that great..

I like him so much and of course there can be the pressure this season too. I mean he did win the Euros and was 3rd at Worlds so it's a totally different situation for him now. A lot of expectation from his country and others. I just hope he's comfortable still with Brian and Yuzu. Very excited for the nationals!

It's the same with Denis too with pressure after last season i think.

You're welcome!

I think he's comfortable, or rather -- he hasn't said anything that suggests that he isn't. In his interview to Hielo Español he seemed to be very calm and optimistic, said that his bad showing at NHK Trophy (the interview was taken in France during TEB) wasn't due to anything in particular, but to the fact that skaters sometimes have bad competitions, sometimes good, and that was a bad one. He also said that he dreams of the Olympic podium but his main goal is skating two good programs, and after he does that he'll be satisfied even if he isn't on the podium (interviewer asks him if he's sure of this, he laughs and says yes). There is the possibility that they might ask him to carry Spain's flag in the Opening Ceremony but Brian doesn't want him to go to Sochi that early, he'd prefer having him train until it's possible.